Starting a side business can seem like a great idea until you realize how much work it takes to get it off the ground. This effort often comes due to a lack of planning and unrealistic expectations. If all you do is put out fires and learn on the go, you won’t ever have time to get your business off the ground.
Planning and research are the secrets to succeeding with a side business, as well as patience. As you have another form of income, you don’t need to artificially inflate your side business in the hope that it finally catches the interest of customers and succeeds. You can grow organically and build up a legacy over the years. First, however, you will need to follow these top steps:
Be Honest About Your Level of Commitment
First things first, you need to be honest with yourself about how much work you can actually put into your business. If you can only manage an hour extra every day, then you will need more time to get your business rolling. That’s okay! The only thing to remember is to be realistic. If you buy a massive order or product but aren’t anywhere near ready to sell it, then this is a huge waste, especially if the product in question has an expiry date.
Choose Your Business Model
There are so many business models to choose from. You can sell your own product if you have a hobby like knitting. You can sell a service where you keep one client at a time. You can even sell manufactured products that are only possible from buying products from other businesses. For example, you can sell CopeCBD products through a white-label system that allows you to put your own label on the products they have produced and benefit from their high standard and testing. In return, you have a great product to sell and don’t need to worry about the production.
Once you found your business model, you’ll still need to learn what is the pros and cons, which are the common mistakes people do when they start this kind of business and you may also need other people’s advice. For all of these, you may consider creating a survey on feedback platforms, like helpfull.com, and get the help of thousands of other people all around the world.
Build Up Your Brand
Start marketing and building up your brand before your product or service is even ready. How? There are many ways, including:
- Guest post on magazines in your niche to help spread your name and showcase your expertise. This helps build up your reputation and credibility.
- Start building your social media network. You can start posting about your niche now and build up an audience before you sell.
- Work with and collaborate with others in your niche. If they have a store, you can later sell your product through them, or you can combine your talents to offer a bigger package offering.
Create Your Website and Marketing Materials
These tips will help you build up your brand, your trust, and your credentials. When building these, however, it is important that you always have a strong design aesthetic, so if you don’t have those skills, it is wise to hire someone to:
- Create Your Website
- Create Your Logo
- Create Your Branding
- Create Your Packaging (if Applicable)
- Design Custom Invoices and Customer-Facing Materials
Conclusion
Side businesses are wonderful. They let you pursue your passion, be a business owner, meet new people, and bring in some extra money. By starting on the side, you can give them the space to breathe and grow naturally, and, if they become such a success that you need to take this side business on full-time, you already have a great basis to start from.
